Francis Niche
5 min readJan 1, 2023
Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash

Ways to be the better you for the new year(2023 edition)

The new year is a fresh start and the perfect time to focus on ways to be the better version of you. It’s an opportunity to look inward, reflect on areas of growth, and set yourself up to create lasting positive changes. Taking small steps in building personal resilience and cultivating healthy habits can help you make 2023 your best year yet. In this essay, I will discuss a few tips and strategies that can help you be the best possible version of yourself in the new year.

As the new year approaches, many people will set a variety of goals and resolutions for themselves to help make the upcoming year the best it can be. Whether it be eating healthier, starting a new hobby, or even learning a new language, goal setting can be a great way to increase motivation and self-discipline (Goldsmith, 2011). Setting realistic and achievable goals can be key to success. Consider small goals, breaking them down into smaller and more individual goals, and being specific when setting the goals can make it easier to track and monitor your progress. Setting deadlines for goals can help to ensure that you're making headway, and if things don't go as planned, it can be okay to adjust the goal or timeline (Nair, 2018). Having a positive mentality and finding support with family and friends can also be important factors to achieving success. By setting goals and resolutions for the new year, everyone can strive to become their best selves and have a happy and successful year ahead.

Goldsmith, Jeff. "The Power of Goal Setting." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 24 Jan. 2011. Web. 10 Dec. 2020.

Nair, Dr. Radhika. "Goal Setting: A Fresh Perspective." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, 6 Feb. 2018. Web. 10 Dec. 2020.

The new year often presents a time for new beginnings and is a great opportunity to set goals and plans for the future. It is important to remember to set achievable goals that can create positive changes in your life, such as taking up a new hobby, going to the gym, or committing to spending more time with family and friends (Larson, 2020). Additionally, creating resolutions or goals for the new year can provide motivation and direction for future success (Gonchar, 2021). It is also important to know that goals do not always have to be grand or life changing—even small goals such as reading more books, learning a new language, or exploring new interests can make a difference and help create an atmosphere of personal growth (Johnston, 2020). Ultimately, setting goals and resolutions for the new year are a great way to focus on self-improvement and create meaningful change in your life.
The start of a new year often brings with it promises of a fresh start, making it the perfect time to set New Year's resolutions and strive to build a better life. One of the most popular resolutions to make is to have a greater impact in your personal and professional lives, as this can have a ripple effect that positively influences many other aspects of one's life. Additionally, striving to reach and surpass goals within one's field of work can help to further their professional endeavors. Another important resolution is to be a more present and grateful member of society. This can be done through volunteering, participating in acts of kindness, and doing one's part to support those in need. Additionally, working to bloom into someone that is true to themselves, either from memory or from online interactions, is also a key part of this resolution. Finally, embracing a new talent can be beneficial for personal growth, such as taking up taekwondo in order to learn more about martial arts (Billy, 2020). By following these resolutions, individuals can make strides toward creating a more fulfilling life.

Billy, K. (2020). 10 New Year's Resolutions To Transform Your Life. Retrieved January 12, 2021, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/new-years-resolutions_b_5a414aca1bd1fbc1d93a3482

Staying the same in the new year is often more difficult than doing something new, since it involves making conscious, intentional efforts to remain true to one's established principles and identity. A recent study conducted by the journal Self and Identity found that "across different age groups, intent to stay the same predicted within-person consistency in identity centrality" (Minton, Morales, and Gurantz 332). Therefore, if an individual wants to stay the same in the new year, they should reflect on the aspects of their identity that are most important to them to ensure their decisions and actions align with their personal values and goals. Additionally, it may be helpful to identify strategies that can help maintain consistency as the year progresses, such as "developing specific short-term goals..., emphasizing social skills and relationships, and engaging in healthy, sustainable physical activities" (Gálvez et al. 121). By taking action to preserve the qualities they already have, individuals can remain the same while still taking advantage of their changing environment and adapting to new experiences.

Works Cited
Gálvez, Aurelio Pérez, et al. “Re-Thinking Personal Developmenthips.” The European Conference on Education (ECE), 2018, pp. 116–125.

Minton, Elizabeth L., et al. "Staying the Same in a Changing World: Investigating the Role of Intent Inversion in Predicting Within-Person Identity Consistency Over Time." Self and Identity, vol. 18, no. 3, Aug. 2019, pp. 323–338.

The new year is a great time to make positive changes; we all have the opportunity to create a better you. Embracing a healthier lifestyle by focusing on better eating habits and exercising regularly can have strong physical, mental and emotional benefits. Making intentional efforts to be mindful and grateful are also important aspects of working towards a better you. Cultivating better relationships with yourself and others can lead to more satisfying and meaningful experiences overall. Investing in yourself can be the best present for yourself for the new year.
Johnston, Melanie. "Howachieving small goals can lead to a happier, more successful 2020." retrieved January 13, 2021, from https://theconversation.com/how-achieving-small-goals-can-lead-to-a-happier-more-successful-2020-129803

Larson, E. (2020, December 31). 20 goals to set for yourself in 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021, from https://www.insider.com/20-goals-set-for-yourself-in-2021-2020-12

Gonchar, M. (2021, January 01). What Are Your New Years Resolutions? Retrieved January 12, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/01/learning/what-are-your-new-years-resolutions.html

Francis Niche
Francis Niche

Written by Francis Niche

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